Filling machine



April 1942- J. M. HOTHERS'ALL 2,280,826

FILLING MACHINE Filed June '7, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 1942- J. M. HOTHERSALL 2,280,826

FILLING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June '7, 1939 8 44, 7 III/III Iii-"ll aifm.

ATTORNEY April 1942- J. M. HOTHERSALL 2,280,826

FILLING MACHINE Filed June 7, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet s April 1942- J. M. HOTHERSALL 2,280,826

FILLING MACHINE Filed June 7, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTO EYS Patented Apr. 28, 1942 FILLING MACHINE John M. Hothersall, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 7, 1939, Serial No. 277,915

. 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to machines for filling liquids into containers or cans and has particular reference to a gravity slide block valve for such machines.

An object of the invention is the provision of a machine for filling cans with liquids wherein a very accurate fill may be obtained with only a minimum number of moving parts. I

Another object is the provision of such a machine wherein inclined measuring chambers are provided with valve blocks which operate by the force of gravity to open andclose the chambers as the latter are carried around an inclined axis.

Another object is the provision in a filling machine of this character wherein the capacity of the measuring chambers is controlled by the size of the'valve blockused therein so that different volumetric charges of liquid may be measured out as desired without any alteration in chamber sizes.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referringto the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view looking along an inclined axis of afilling machine embodying the instant invention, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially along the line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the line 3-4 in Fig. 2;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are section details of one of the liquid measuring chambers in the machine and 7 Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are perspective views of valve blocks of different sizes, the selection of which is utilized for determining the volume of a measuring chamber.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawings illustrate a filling machine which is adapted to fill accurately measured charges of a liquid such as milk or the like into containers A. By way of example, square fibre milk con-' tainers of the type disclosed in my United States Patent No. 2,085,979, issued July 6, 1937, on Container, are shown in the drawings as being filled with the liquid. These containers are provided with a filling opening B which is adapted to be closed with an attached closure element C after the containers are filled.

The machine includes a cylindrical tank ll (Figs. 1 and 2) which is disposed in an inclined position and which is mounted on a rotatable inclined shaft 12 carried in bearings l3 formed in a main frame 14. The tank contains a liquid D, such as for example milk, which is adapted to be filled into containers A disposed below the tank. Because of the inclined position of the tank, any

liquid will always be in greater amount in the lower corner portion, as shown in Fig. 2. Rotation of the tankis preferably effected by a gear l5 which is secured to the lower end of the shaft and which in turn is rotated in any suitable manner.

Inside the tank II and adjacent its outer periphery there is provided a plurality of spaced measuring chambers IB which are set off from the tank proper by dividing walls l9. These measuring chambers are preferably elongated in transverse section, having straight parallel sides with rounded ends. Inside each chamber, a cylindrie cal valve block 2| rests upon the floor of the chamber and is loose and free to slide back and forth'in the chamber as the tank" rotates.

Adjacent the Outer peripheral end of each chamber, a port 22 is provided in the chamber floor. At the upper surface of the chamber'floor the port is crescent shaped and the crescent shaped walls slope inwardly and downwardly and merge into a circular opening at the bottom. A

depending container filling nozzle 23, having anoutlet port 24, is secured to the bottom side of the tank floor in alignment with its associated port 22.

As the tank II rotates on its inclined axis it carries the measuring chambers around in a circle. Hence as a moving chamber passes along toward the lower end of the inclined tank, its valve block 2| comes into a position where gravity suddenly slides it toward the outer end of the chamber. The block thus moves over and closes 011 its outlet port 22. While the valve block is in this port closing position, the chamber passes down under the liquid and is completely submerged. From its lowest position and with the continued movement of the tank, the chamber next rises and approaches toward the higher end of the tank. In so doing it emerges from the main body of liquid and that part of the liquid remaining within the chamber constitutes a measured predetermined charge. It is this charge which is to be filled into a container A.

When the measuring chamber is thus rising as it passes up beyond the transverse middle of the inclined tank, this being indicated by a. line a:--:c in Fig. 1, the incline of the chamber floor changes to an inclined position sloping toward the tank center. A position is reached when gravity, acting on the valve block 2| as the floor gets steeper and steeper, causes the block to slide back along the floor of the chamber to the opposite or inner end of the chamber. This shifting of the valve block uncovers its port 22 and the liquid thereupon drains out of the chamber through the filling nozzle 23 and into a can A.

In the packaging of milk there are preferably three sizes of containers which are extensively used, these being a quart size, a pint size, and a half-pint size. Accordingly as an example of different filling conditions provision is made for filling these different sizes of containers in the same machine and using the same size of chamber. This is effected by providing valve blocks of different heights and utilizing the principle of displacement. In this way the filling volume of the chamber will be determined by the particular valve block used.

The valve block 2| (Fig. 7) may be the smallest of the three and when this block is used the available filling volume of th chamber is exactly one quart and such a filling condition will be established for the quart size container. For reducing the chamber capacity to a pint measure as shown in Fig. 5, a thicker or higher block 23 (Fig. 8) is used. In like manner for a one-half pint measure, as shown in Fig. 6, a still thicker or higher block 29 (Fig. 9) is used. These blocks are all of the same diameter and function in the same manner when in place within a measuring'chamber l8.

This is a very simple and quickly changeable way of varying the capacity of the measuring chambers in accordance with the volumetric measure of the charge desired to be filled into the containers without inany way changing, the machine. Such a construction also permits ease of cleaning for when the days run is over it is only necessary to take out all of the valve blocks which makes it easy to clean them and also leaves the chamber unobstructed as they too can be quickly flushed out.

Provision is made for replenishing the liquid as it is withdrawn from the tank and for maintaining a constant level in the machine so that the filling operation will be uniform for all containers of a given size. For this purpose there is provided a liquid inlet pipe 3| (Fig. 2) which leads from any suitable source of supply and which terminates. just above the desired liquid 4 level in the tank. A discharge port 32 is provided in the side of the pipe adjacent its lower end.

A float sleeve 33 is disposed within the lower end of the pipe and this sleeve is connected to a float 34 which rides upon or is supported by the surface of the liquid. The float sleeve is provided with a port 35 which i out of register with the discharg port 32 as long as the liquid in the tank is sufficient.

As the liquid level recedes with the filling of the containers, the float rides lower and hence moves the sleeve 33 down within the pipe. When the lower liquid level is sufi'icient to bring the sleeve port 35 partially or wholly into register with the discharge port 32 liquid flows from the inside of the sleeve through the ports and into the tank. When the liquid level has been again restored, the rising fioat moves the sleeve port out of register with the discharge port and. thereby cuts off the fiow of liquid.

The description thus far has been directed particularly to the tank of liquid, the filling chambers and to' the valve blocks in the chambers. Furthermore, mention hasbeen made of container filling nozzles 23; Obviously container to properly receive their measured charges of liquid must be properly positioned during filling rel-' having an angular pocket 45 secured thereon. This supports the can A to be filled. j

The lifter plates 45 are secured to the upper ends of rods 48 carried in bearings 49 formed in a cylindrical depending skirtsection 5| integrally connected with the bottom of the tank ll. Thus the lifter plates travel with the tank. Spaced webs 52 are provided for strengthening this skirt portion. At the lower end, each rod carries a cam roller 54 which rides on a stationary ring cam 55 secured to a cone shaped bracket 55 held at its center on the main frame.

To provide for automatic operation of the filling machine it is desirable that the cans A be received into and discharged from the machine. The cans to be filled may be received from a suitable source of supplyin a straight line procession by way of a runway 5| (Figs. 1 and 3). At the machine end of the runway, a rotating feed-in turret 82 with square cut pockets 63, receives the containers and transfers them across a table 54 positioning each container on a passing lifter plate 45. The turret 62 is carried on a. shaft 66 mounted in suitable bearings formed in the table. suitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the machine. A curved guide rail 51 carried on the table retains the containers proper path and in the turret pockets.

The container A in coming into position on a lifter plate 45, has its filling opening in vertical alignment with the corresponding depending filling nozzle 23., When such lifter plate with its container advances with the rotating tank intoheld in such a raised position, the liquid is delivered from the chamber, as hereinbefore described.

A curved guide rail 58 extending around the machine adjacent the path of travel of the containers retains them in their lifter plate pockets 46 while the tank rotates. This guide rail is secured to brackets 69 which are bolted to the skirt bracket 55.

Filling of theicontainer takes place during approximately one half revolution of the tank.

This half revolution covers that part' of its cycle on both sides of the higher end of the-tank, the filling operation beginning shortly after the container passes the line :c-z in Fig. 1 on the in- ,clining side of the tank. On the declining side 'of thetank the filling operation is completed 'by the time the container again reaches the line As the filled container comes tothe lower end i of the tank on its receding side, it engages against a curved guide rail 15 (Fig. 3) which sweeps it out of its lifter plate pocket 45 and into a' pocket I8 of a rotating discharge turret 11. The turret 4 is carried on a shaft 18 journaled in suitable charge, of liquid delivered from, a chamber l8 travels with the tank as thelatter rotates. For this purpose there is located below each filling bearings formed in the frame I4. This shaft is rotated in any suitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the machine.

, Containers received in the discharge turret '11 are propelled across .,a stationary table 19 and are then placed in a runway 8| which leads to a suitable place of deposit. The discharged con- This shaft may be rotated in any ina tainers may be propelled along the runway in any suitable manner such'as, for example, by a belt conveyor or the like.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be appar cut that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without-departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described be ing merely a Preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A machine for filling liquids into containers, comprising in combination, a rotatable inclined tank for holding a liquid to be filled, a liquid measuring chamber adjacent the outer periphery of said tank and movable with the tank for measuring out and retaining a charge of the liquid in the tank as the latter rotates, said chamber including an inclined floor having an outlet port therein through which the measured charge of liquid is dispensed into the container, and a valve member engaging and freely movable on the inclined floor of said chamber, said valve member having sliding gravital movement in opposite directions on the chamber floor within the confines of the chamber walls as said chamber rotates on the inclined axis of the tank, for closing and opening said outlet port.

2. A machine for filling liquids into containers, comprising in combination, a rotatable inclined tank for holding a liquid to be filled, a liquid measuring chamber adjacent the outer periphery of said tank and movable with the tank for measuring out and retaining a charge of the liquid in the tank as the latter rotates, said chamber including an inclined floor having an outlet port therein through which the measured charge of liquid is dispensed into the container, a valve member engaging and freely movable on the inclined floor of said chamber, said valve member having sliding gravital movement in opposite directions on the chamber fioor within the confines closing and opening said outlet port, and means for holding a container to'be filled in place adjacent said outlet port.

3. A machine for filling liquids into containers,

comprising in combination, a rotatable inclined tank for holding a liquid to be filled, means for maintaining the liquid in the tank at a predetermined level, a liquid measuring chamber adjacent the outer periphery of said tank and movable with the tank for measuring out and retaining a charge of the liquid in the tank as the latter rotates, said chamber having an outlet port therein through which the measured charge of liquid is dispensed into the container, and a valve in said chamber slidably movable transversely of the floor of said chamber as the tank rotates for closing and opening said outlet port.

4. A machine for filling liquids into containers, comprising in combination, a rotatable inclined tank for holding a liquid to be filled, a liquid measuring chamber adjacent the outer periphery of said tank and movable with the tank for measuring out and retaining a charge of the liquid in the tank asthe latter rotates, said chamber including an inclined floor having an outlet port therein through which the measured charge of liquid is dispensed into the container, a valve member engaging and freely movable on the inclined floor of said chamber, said valve member having sliding gravital movement in opposite directions on the chamber floor within the confines of the chamber walls as said chamber rotates on the inclined axis of the tank, for alternately closing and opening said outlet port, feeding devices for feeding a container into position in alignment with the outlet port of said chamber, and a lifter plate forreceiving said fed container for raising the container into position adjacent the chamber as the latter rotates with the tank and for holding it in raised position during the filling operation.

5. A machine for filling liquids into containers, comprising in combination, a rotatable inclined tank for holding a liquid to be filled, a plurality of measuring chambers connected wtih said tank and arranged around the outer periphery thereof, said chambers dipping under the level of the liquid in the low end of the tank as the latter rotates and emerging with a measured charge of the liquid as they are carried by the tank toward the higher end thereof, each of said chambers having an outlet port disposed adjacent the outer periphery of the tank and in a fioor of the chamher, and a freely movable slide valve located on the floor of each chamber for covering its port while the chamber is submerged under the liquid and for uncovering the port after the chamber emerges from the liquid to permit discharge of the measured charge of liquid.-

6. A machine for'filling liquids into containers, comprising in combination a rotatable inclined tank for holding a liquid to be filled, a liquid measuring chamber adjacent the outer periphery of said tank and movable with the tank for measuring out and retaining a charge of the liquid in the tank as the latter rotates, said chamber being of elongated configuration having rounded ends and having a fioor provided with an outlet port adjacent the outer end of the chamber, and

a cylindrical slide valve resting on the'fioor of the chamber and freely movable thereacross from one end to the other as the tank rotates for covering said port while the chamber is receiving its charge of liquid and for uncovering said port to permit discharge of the measured charge of liquid into a container.

7. A machine for filling liquids into containers, comprising in combination a rotatable inclined tank for holding aliquid to be filled, a liquid measuring chamber adjacent the outer periphery of said tank and movable with the tank for measuring out and retaining a charge of the liquid in the tank as the latter rotates, said chamber including an inclined floor having an outlet port therein through which the measured charge of 7 

